Nonviolence in Najaf?

The BBC headline caught my eye: "Iraqi cleric in Najaf
peace march." Its the kind of story that gets buried
in mid-August, especially between the Democratic and Republican
national conventions. But I was intrigued.

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We rarely hear news about Islamic nonviolence. A few might
remember 1930s Pakistani pacifist Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who led the
Servants of God organization in nonviolent resistance against the
British. But, in the West, Islam and nonviolence dont
generally go together.

Is a new page opening in Islams contribution to
nonviolence? Iraqs leading Shia cleric, the Grand Ayatollah
Ali al-Sistani, did what the U.S. military, the Iraqi troops, and
the armed supporters of militant cleric Moqtada al-Sadr could
not. He ended the three-week standoff in Najaf in which hundreds
of people had been killed.

Ten thousand Shia Iraqis gathered peacefully in Najaf to
support Sistanis peace plan to end the violence and reclaim
the shrine of Imam Ali. "Sistani did not issue a fatwa (a
religious order)," cleric Abdullah Mehdi told Baghdad-based
Christian Peacemaker Team member David Milne, "but an
invitation."

"I regard this action by Sistani and his followers as
quite significant," Milne told me. "Iraq has such a
violent history that a nonviolent action marks a significant
beginning, especially when it had such strong support. The action
appears to have achieved its goals quickly when other attempts -
including repeated assaults on the shrine and other attempts to
negotiate an agreement - failed."

Sistani brokered a five-point peace plan. Najaf and
neighboring Kufa are to be declared weapons-free zones; all
foreign forces will withdraw from Najaf; local Iraqi police are
to take charge of security; the government will compensate those
harmed in the fighting; and a census will be taken in preparation
for upcoming elections.

Sistanis strategy was politically savvy. He appeared
strong in resisting the unpopular U.S. forces. He allowed the
weaker combatants, namely Sadrs militia, to save face and
disappear into the crowd of peace marchers without retribution.
He emphasized local civilian control of the city. And he
presented an effective nonviolent model to Iraqis.

There is also severe criticism of Sistani, especially for
protecting Sadr and his forces. "I dont see any
evidence that Sistani understands nonviolent strategies,"
said Jack DuVall, founding director of the International Center
on Nonviolent Conflict. "Using nonviolent camouflage to
shield violent fighters certainly doesnt remind me of
anything that Gandhi did." While many of Sadrs forces
turned in their weapons during the peace march, an unknown number
of them did not - leaving open the possibility for another armed
rebellion. Additionally, shots were fired during the peace march,
though reportedly not from the marchers.

SISTANIS MARCH was not the product of a broad-based
Iraqi nonviolence movement. Both Milne and DuVall agree that
large-scale civilian-based training is necessary before there can
be any legitimate comparisons to other nonviolent struggles.
However, neither was it a unique event. Human rights observers
noted similar "sit-ins" in the Sunni region around
Ramadi where thousands peacefully demonstrated at a U.S. base
until six detained women were released. In the days after
Sistanis march, several hundred people in Najaf continued a
peaceful presence demanding that the remainder of Sadrs
militia leave the city.

"We see the beginnings of a peace and human rights
movement in Iraq," said CPTs Milne, "but it
doesnt conform to Western models. Iraqis hunger for peace
and justice. It is important to understand that Iraqis are
starting from a very basic position regarding their knowledge of
human rights. They were cut off from these ideas for
decades. To go back to the Gandhi comparison, I think it is
important to acknowledge that Iraqis have their own ways of
doing nonviolence."

To religious nonviolence, Christians bring a radical
commitment to "love thy enemy," Hindus bring technique
and a nonviolent creed, and Muslims bring rigorous discipline.
Islamic scholar Chaiwat Satha-Anand has written that the five
pillars of Islam have the capacity to support a deeply rooted
spirituality of nonviolence - but it probably wont look
like Christian or Gandhian movements. I just hope we can
recognize it when we see it.

Rose Marie Berger, an associate editor of Sojourners,
is a Catholic peace activist and poet.

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